After a car accident, the things you will deal with might be overwhelming. You will have to call the police, address the injuries sustained, talk to other parties involved. With everything that’s going on, it suddenly occurred to you that you left the scene of the accident without being issued a ticket despite being at fault. You might feel relief upon realizing this but are your nightmares really over?
The truth is your accident nightmare isn’t over because you can still get a citation from the police through an email, and this will add more stress when undergoing treatment or dealing with an insurance company. It will be of great help if you understand why and when you will receive a ticket for your car accident. Can I get a ticket days after an accident? Yes, you can, and this guide is out to tell you more about it.
Can You Get A Ticket Days After An Accident
Why Citations Get Delayed
When the police get to a car accident scene, there might be chaos going on already. People might be severely injured, there might be a lot of traffic because of the accident, and tensions might be flying high. Like every other first responder, the first aim at a car accident scene is to make sure everyone involved in the accident is fine.
Anyone who needs medical attention gets rushed to the hospital immediately. Another reason a police officer would be at a car accident scene is to get a police report because a police report will be useful when litigation begins or when an insurance claim is being pursued. The police need to get an objective idea of a car accident because they were not at the car accident scene when it happened. The police will have to gather stories from everyone involved in the car accident to get a substantial police report.
To get an accurate report, the police will go through traffic cameras, gather evidence, and talk to eyewitnesses to get a detailed account of what truly happened. By gathering any evidence, the police can tell which party broke the law and what laws were broken. However, getting all these done might not be done immediately after a car accident occurs.
When Will I Get A Citation
Unfortunately, no statute of limitation can tell when a ticket or citation will be sent to any of the parties involved in the car accident because enforcement bodies, local and state laws have various operating procedures. The accident type and at-fault party also play a role in determining when a citation will be sent.
Furthermore, if you are aware that you broke the law leading to a car accident, you should expect a citation. Ignoring traffic lights, driving under the influence, speeding, and reckless driving will get you a ticket. Even though some tickets might not come in some cases, you can’t be free until an investigation is complete.
What Happens When You Get A Ticket
The answer to this question depends on where you reside, and in some no-fault states, traffic citations do not impact insurance claims. The same cannot be said for a state like Georgia because someone needs to be held liable for a car accident, impacting a car accident’s legal process. The party responsible for the accident will get a citation, and if you suffer car accident injuries in Georgia, you can sue the at-fault driver for all damages. The at-fault party will be charged with paying for medical issues, car repairs, lost wages, legal fees, and more. Citations are taken into account for determining who is at fault and should be liable for the costs.
What To Do After An Accident
You can do nothing to reverse a car accident after it has happened, and it doesn’t matter whether you are at fault or not; you need to take some steps after getting involved in a car accident. The essence of taking steps after a car accident is to protect legal proceedings that might take shape after a car accident. The first step to take is obtaining a thorough police report because you must have a copy of a police report. As we mentioned earlier, a police report comprises eye witness statements, traffic camera footage, and more to explain what went down at a car accident scene.
It will be of great importance if all of your injuries get documented. The injuries must be related to the car accident, and documenting them is important for legal and insurance proceedings. You need detailed diagnostic reports on your injuries if you intend to sue the at-fault driver, and all other treatments should be documented as well. However, it doesn’t matter if you are at fault for an accident, but documenting any of your injuries would come in handy at some point.
Our constant advice regarding car accident cases is to contact an experienced car accident lawyer to work with. Working with a lawyer is important because you can file a claim even though no ticket was issued. Tickets might be considered useful evidence used to prove who is at fault for a car accident, but they are not important when you want to file a claim.
Working with an experienced car accident attorney comes with so many benefits. A car accident attorney can build a strong case and prove that the other driver involved in the accident is responsible for the accident and should bear the damages. Evidence like skid marks on the road, position and damage done to the vehicle, eye witness statements, and more also comes in handy when filing a claim against the at-fault driver.
Judging from all we have discussed in this guide, you can tell that receiving a ticket days after an accident is possible even though it is rare. You will get a ticket days after an accident if the other party involved in the accident files a report late rather than immediately after a car accident. You can also get a ticket late when the police officer who visited the car accident completes their investigation because the investigation aims to determine who is liable for the car accident.
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